OUR HISTORY
our past
The Gipps Street congregation did not begin in Gipps Street. Its origin lay with a couple of widows who regularly met for worship in a house in Tor Street in the 1960s. This was very similar to how some congregations began in biblical times (Rom 16:5). It is also reminiscent of Jesus' parable of the mustard seed, which speaks of small beginnings of the Kingdom of God (Matt 13: 31,32).
These ladies met after the simple manner of the New Testament, not wanting to be Catholic, Protestant or Jewish, but rather just Christians. Later they were joined by a family which was temporarily working in Australia in oil exploration. On hearing of this small group, a congregation of the Lord's church in the United States sent two missionary families to help the work to grow. During this time a shop front at 580 Ruthven Street was rented and set up for worship and fellowship.
These two families served for a short time and were replaced by two other families, also from the United States. The little congregation began to grow, and in 1974 an Australian couple joined the work to assist with preaching and pastoral duties. By 1976 no American missionaries were involved in the work.
In the latter part of 1977 the congregation began building the initial two-story building at 52 Gipps Street, and this was completed in early 1978. This original building was added to in 1993 with a ground-level auditorium. Land immediately behind the building in Ladner Street was purchased to serve as a parking area. This site continues to serve the congregation.
our present
Presently the congregation has some 40 adult and adolescent members and 30 children. Each member is added by the Lord when each has been saved by obedience to the gospel with Acts 2:47. We all come from different walks of life - some of us from different nations, some of us from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, many varied professional and personal pursuits are represented among us. However, it is those things we share in common which bind us together and make us a family - one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Each Sunday morning and Sunday evening we worship God according to the pattern he has provided for us. We also nourish our spiritual selves with study of the Bible on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. We also participate in many other activities, either collectively or in part, designed to help build one another up and provoke one another to love and good works. A number of these activities you will see described in more detail elsewhere on this website.
our future
Because God often chooses to work through people to accomplish His will, we are passionate about continuing our own growth toward maturity in Christ, thus preparing ourselves to be effective ambassadors for Him. We are resolved to be single-minded in spirit and purpose; to stand as an anchor of unity in a world of troubled waters.
Plans for our growth, and ultimately our outreach to the community and the world, center on the same areas of Jesus’ focus. As you search our site, you will see four areas where Gipps Street is actively engaged in God’s mission:
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Establishing a personal and congregational relationship with the Almighty God
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Edifying, equipping and empowering one another toward Christian maturity
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Serving our community and the world
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Cultivating Godly relationships
It is our prayer that Gipps Street will continue to be dedicated to excellence in every aspect of ministry and to being a church with fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.